Dr. Bekaii-Saab on Tolerability of Encorafenib, Binimetinib, and Cetuximab in BRAF+ CRC

Tanios S. Bekaii-Saab, MD, professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses the tolerability of encorafenib (Braftovi), binimetinib (Mektovi), and cetuximab (Erbitux) in BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

In the phase III BEACON CRC study, the triplet led to a 48% reduction in the risk of death compared with cetuximab/irinotecan-containing regimens. Response rates also increased from 1.9% to 26.1% with the triplet therapy. Notably, these agents can be toxic individually. However, the BRAF, MEK, and EGFR inhibitors combined appeared to decrease the incidence of skin toxicity and other associated adverse events, Bekaii-Saab says.

This combination could transform the way patients with BRAF V600E-mutant mCRC are treated, he adds. The full data set were not presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting, but more data will be read out at the upcoming medical conferences.